How much to charge for a tasting menu wine pairing

The price of a tasting menu wine pairing is often set by looking at what other restaurants charge or by applying a percentage to the menu price. Neither method tells you whether the pairing is profitable in your restaurant. To find out, you have to calculate per guest: how much wine is really poured at each course, what it costs and what share of the revenue you want to allocate to wine.

Why the pairing is calculated per guest

On the list, wine is sold by the bottle or by the glass. In a pairing, the guest pays for a complete experience and the restaurant pours several wines in small quantities. The useful unit is the guest: the cost of all the wine one person receives against the amount they pay for the pairing.

Step 1: the real cost of each course

For each wine, note the quantity poured per course and the cost of the bottle. Divide the cost by the bottle volume to get the cost per centilitre and multiply it by the quantity poured. The sum of all the courses is the theoretical pairing cost per guest. Use the quantity the floor team really pours, not the one on the spec sheet.

Step 2: what does not appear on the spec sheet

The theoretical cost falls short if it does not include complimentary top-ups, open bottles that are not finished on services with few pairing guests, the team's tasting glasses and substitutions for preferences or allergies. You do not need to estimate all of this precisely from day one, but you do need to record it so the calculation gets closer to reality.

Step 3: a cost target on revenue

Decide the maximum percentage of the pairing price you want to allocate to wine. With that target, the minimum price excluding VAT is obtained by dividing the real cost per guest by the chosen percentage; the price you show guests must include VAT. There is no percentage that works for every restaurant: it depends on your cuisine, your guests and the role the pairing plays in the experience.

Step 4: compare with the list

Guests who know wine compare. If the pairing costs almost as much as a good bottle for two, some tables will prefer the bottle. Also check consistency with the by-the-glass prices of those same wines on the list. When you have different types of guests, two pairing tiers let you offer a classic option and another with higher-value wines without forcing a single price.

Choosing wines that make the pairing viable

Wines that are also sold by the glass on the list use up open bottles and reduce waste. Combining a higher-cost wine with more moderate ones keeps the average cost in check without losing interest. Check availability: changing a pairing wine mid-season means recalculating and retraining the team.

The pour: a small deviation that multiplies

Pouring a little more than planned at each course seems minor. Multiplied by the courses, the guests and the services in a month, it can change the result. Agreeing the quantity per type of wine, using visual reference points on the glass and reviewing it in pre-service briefings helps the calculation and the practice match.

Alternatives that protect the average spend

A half pairing, a selection by the glass or an alcohol-free pairing let more tables take part without lowering the price of the full pairing. They also make it easier to look after guests who are driving or prefer to drink less. Keep the allergen information for each course to hand, including for the wines, which usually contain sulphites.

Review with every menu change

Every change of dish, vintage or purchase cost alters the calculation. Review the pairing when the menu changes and periodically compare the theoretical cost with what has actually been consumed.